Steam Train Service to Target Bagan’s Upmarket Tourists

A weekly passenger service from Bagan to Kyaukpadaung and Mount Popa will seek to cash in on the high-end tourism market.

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By Nobel Zaw 27 November 2014

RANGOON — A vintage steam train will start operations between Bagan and Kyaukpadaung in Mandalay Division next month, seeking to cash in on the expansion of Burma’s boutique tourism sector.

Running each Tuesday from its inaugural service on Dec. 16, the 110-kilometer (78-mile) return journey will cost a staggering US$250 per ticket, pricing out all but the most dedicated rail fans.

The train will take up to 120 passengers at a time and will, understandably, be pitched at high-end foreign tourists.

“I am not only seeking business success but also the improvement of the tourism industry,” said Zaw Weik, director of Bright View Steam Locomotive Tours. “I want the historical record to show that we have had a steam train run in Bagan.”

Included in the price is a short educative stop in a local village, meals and transportation by car to and from nearby Mount Popa once passengers alight at Kyaukpadaung.